8 Things You Need To Know When Moving To A Small City
This year, many people decided to move to a small city and escape the madness of big-city life. Most search for family-friendly smaller towns as well. With all the turmoil, expense, and congestion of city life, raising a family outside the chaos seems a much wiser decision.
Is Small City Living A Good Choice For You And Your Family?
In short, small city living offers a relaxed pace, a serene environment, affordable housing, and a lower cost of living. But is moving the right decision for you and your family? For example, if you live in a small city like Burbank, consider hiring a moving company in Burbank that’s licensed & insured so you can easily plan your move accordingly.
More so, since city living and small city life are diametrically opposite of each other, you need to know the facts. Don’t make rash decisions based on emotions but, think with your head and your finances.
Essential Facts To Know When Moving To A Small City
Below, you’ll find some essential facts when moving to a small city. Of course, everyone’s experiences vary depending on your situation.
Obviously, moving to a small city doesn’t mean you’ll experience pure peacefulness and quiet all the time. While city living is very different, that doesn’t mean you’ll experience nirvana in smaller towns either.
Yes, noise levels are lower, and there are fewer people out and about. And yes, life is more serene, but it depends on the demographics you choose. Small city living can bring you a calmer way of life and a closer experience with nature too.
For example, when we first moved out of the city, we made the mistake of moving too far into the woods. Culture shock set it, and we ended up moving closer to town. While it did offer us a more peaceful and quiet existence, the dichotomy between city and country life proved too much to tolerate.
2 – Housing Is More Affordable
For the most part, the further you move away from the city, the less expensive you’ll find housing costs. Again, this all depends on where you move and what price range you can afford.
When we first decided to move out of the city, we thought about moving to Canada. We fell in love with Canada, and upon visiting Toronto and Ontario, the charm and lifestyle seemed like living perfected.
More so, Ontario seemed like the perfect place to raise our family and settle into a typically quiet family oriented life. Bottom line, we decided not to leave the states and we never regret that decision.
According to Zolo, the average sale price of a house in Toronto City (big city) is $1.0M, while the average sale price of a home in Orangeville (small town) is $668K. Thankfully, the new homes for sale in York Region Ontario are highly affordable.
It’s always a good idea to investigate all of your options before moving to a small city. Regardless of where you decide to move, do the research, and create a checklist of all your options.
3 – Few Medical Services and Options
If you’re accustomed to booking an appointment with a doctor to get immediate healthcare services, you may not like small city living. There are a few medical options in small towns, making it quite challenging to receive urgent healthcare services. Again, it all depends on the city you choose and how large the population.
Obviously, most towns and cities have good doctors but can a lower amount of specialists. But it’s vital to know the statistics of healthcare access in rural communities. Depending on your needs, this might cause you to travel further for treatment. Always make sure you take the extra time to research medical care. As well as what doctors are available in your area of interest.
4 – Few Employment Opportunities
Since most small towns have fewer investors, the number of job opportunities might seem limited. You may have to compromise your profession to make ends meet. If you are moving to a smaller town to work, prepare yourself to take any job that comes your way.
Moreover, if you work remotely and it is not a concern where you move, that’s all the more reason to move. Since the pandemic, more and more people work remotely. That’s the main reason so many folks took the leap and moved out of the cities. Again, depending on your current situation, always make sure you check the employment situation first.
5 – There’s a Strong Community Feel In A Small City
Smaller towns have a more robust community appeal than big cities. Besides, small towns can have lower crime rates and better educational systems. When moving to a small city, life can seem far less personal. Folks seem to take the time to know each other better. Your sense of anonymity will feel diminished but in a good way.
Generally, it’s easy to establish connections and build positive relationships in small towns. So, if you open a business in a small town, rest assured that you’ll receive support from other business owners in the region.
6 – Limited Public Transportation
Indeed, it would help if you thought about the significant differences in public transportation when you move out of the city. Always check the transportation schedules and routes of the area you move to as they vary from town to town.
While some towns have a viable transportation system, some don’t and can have a minimal schedule. If you travel by car, always check the roads as well. And make sure you know the routes of back roads too. During the inclement weather, you will need to know back roads well to circumvent traffic problems.
7 – Stores Are Not Within Walking Distance
One of the first things that took time to get used to was not having stores close to home. Hopping the car every time you need groceries can feel overwhelming at times. Always check the location of shopping malls from where you plan to move.
Surprisingly, you might find the price of groceries varies from town to town as well. You’ll find folks bounce from one store to another to find deals. And since that involves more driving, you’ll ask if it’s worth it.
Also, shopping for groceries might take longer than usual. You’ll discover people tend to want to talk more often, especially when grocery shopping. You cal always politely bow out of a conversation, but you might actually enjoy having them.
8 – Eating Meals Out In A Small City
If you enjoy dining out, you might want to take a good look at what dining out in smaller towns means. After living in a small town for over 25 years, it’s still a significant disappointment to discover our limited choices.
While restaurants have tried their best to keep up with the times, they lack diverse menu options. Plus, you’ll need to drive further to experience more dining options as well.
While moving to a smaller populated town does have its appeal, it’s always a good idea to plan well and do the research. Small town life is certainly not for everyone. The good news, you can always move back to the city if you decide it’s not for you!
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